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Xanax withdrawal .25


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Hello my name is Tim This is my first post and I am having a hard time getting off xanax . I take .25 @ bed time and it is not working like it did . I had used it off and  on maybe 30 pills would last a year or so. in Aug of 2010 I had shots for pain in my back and the med they use for that made me off the charts .not sleeping , moods up and down , all kinds of stuff . This is were xanax comes in the only thing that help was taking .25 at bed time i got thru the pain meds reaction and now 9 mos latter i can not stop . So everyday I think I go thru withdrawal because it is 24 hours when i take my next dose . It seems like iam ok part of the day and late afternoon or so start to feel down and most days that will pass then everynight feet feel funny and a lot of the stuff I read here. so I would like help to stop this stuff .Shuld I cut in half ? Should I cut a little off the end ? Do anitybiotics or advil things like that make harder to get off . thanks

 

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Hi Tim and welcome.

 

Xanax is somewhat hard to taper from because of it's short half-life.  Are you using the .25 mg pills?  If so, you could try cutting them in half or better yet in quarters. You can use a Xacto knife or a razor blade or an extremley sharp knife to do this.

 

If you can cut it into quarters, take 3 of the quarters for 1-2 weeks.  Then, you can take 2 of the quarters (half of the .25 pill ) for 1-2 weeks, then 1 of the quarters for 1-2 weeks, then none.

 

If you can only cut it in half, take half of the pill for 1-2 weeks, then none.

 

You might also like to consider titration which is a great method if you are tapering a short acting benzo like Xanax.  You can post a request for a titration schedule here http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=62.0 and someone will be along to help you out.

 

Another option would be to have your doctor switch you over to .25 mgs Klonopin (which has a somewhat longer half-life than Xanax), or 5 mgs Valium, which has the longer half-life of all benzos.

 

Hope I have not confused you. :D

We're glad you found us, and feel free to ask questions.

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Hi Tim. Welcome to BB.  Stay away from quinolone antibiotics (examples are cipro and levaquin but there are others which seem to react or interact negatively with benzodiazepenes).  I have had no problem with Augmentin but you can google it and/or check with your doctor although some docs poo poo that antibiotics can be a problem for some. Yet there are members here who have had reactions and I think I read a few internet articles a couple years about it.  By the way, was the shot you had a steroid?  I think another member here BYBYMATRIX had an increase in symptoms after a steroid and if I recall, off an antibiotic as well.  You can PM him if you like.  He is a moderator here.  Well, good luck with your taper off xanax and welcome to BB.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

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Hi Tim.  One can become dependent on a "benzo" in a very short period of time.  For example, I took a relatively low dose of valium (5mg) for three weeks on a trip (just for jet lag and motion sickness) and my doctor did not warn me to taper slowly off it.  I came home and three weeks later went into severe withdrawal, anxiety, insomnia, vertigo, palpitations...  just after three weeks use of only 5mg valium.  So the odds are you are now dependent on xanax if its been more than a few weeks or months.  

 

The problem with xanax is that it is short acting so one can get interdose withdrawal.  It might be helpful to split the xanax dose to twice a day, but i'm not an expert on xanax use.  Maybe somebody can come along with more info.  Crossing over to valium is another option if your doctor would consider it.  There are some downsides to valium, can bring on some blues or some grogginess in the morning but it definitely will also help with sleep initially. And it is one of the easiest to taper due to the longer half life.

 

One needs to not just stop taking xanax but keep taking it as you cross to valium which can take three weeks to build up in your system.  Then once stabilized, you can develop a plan (perhaps with your doctor) to slowly taper off the valium as I did.  I took about 9 months to taper off 6mg of valium.  It was not too terribly difficult but there are definitely going to be some withdrawal side effects along the way.  However, I am very happy to be benzo free and wish you the same.  My mother took xanax and while it helped her in the beginning with anxiety, I think it eventually made it worse as she too developed tolerance and had to up dose and then it just didn't work so she added valium and other antidepressants... it was a mess.  Some docs will switch people over to klonopin which presents other potential problems long term.

 

Tim.  I commend you for finding this forum and seeking out the help you might need to safely get off it.  One word about doctors.  Some out there are well meaning but just don't understand the difficulty one can encounter in getting off benzodiazepenes and the idea of a longer taper.  If I had a nickel for every time I read on forum that a doctor said just quarter the pills each week and you'll be off and fine in a month, I'd be rich.  This is a several month process at best, not weeks.  Anyway, feel free to post any other questions you might have.

 

Vertigo

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Thanks for all the good info i am finishing two antibiotics because of diverticulitis .started with cipro & flagyl cipro was very hard on me and so is flagyl switched to flagyl and bactrim a little better but so many side effects also. Should I hold off on my first cut untill the antibiotics move out of my body or start with a 1/4 cut or less to try to start the program ? ( I now take .25 xanax every night for eight plus months) I would also like to ask if someone could tell me if I,am in withdrawal or Tolerance ? I get tingling numbness in feet sometimes hands , pain & stiffness ,muscle twitches, dizziness, and a  lot more but they can be different on different days thats what it seems like to me maybe it is in my mind but somedays by late afternoon I feel ok a little hyper but then thats when the feet get cold with tingling or hot and even some places on my body get hot feeling well thanks for helping me out everyone   
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Hi Tim,

 

If you are in no particular hurry, it might be wise to wait until you are feeling a little better and the antibiotics have had a chance to cycle out of your system before you begin your taper.  But if you feel up to starting a benzo taper, then by all means go right ahead.  Just be sure to take it slowly and sensibly.

 

From what you have described, it sounds like you are dealing with tolerance withdrawal.  This is what happened to me when I got up to 2mgs of Klonopin a day, and the only way around it is too taper off of the drug.

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[a0...]

This is so good to be able to talk to fokes that understand what it is like . I have lots of ? to ask things that concern me ut for now Thanks     

 

Tim,

 

You can ask anything you want. That's why we are here.

Feel free. I'm sure we can all relate to one degree or another likely.

You're in good company and hands here.

 

Sigma.

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Hi Tim.  If you are having GI symptoms from the antibiotics, try a good probiotic like Culturelle (over the counter).  This should at least help with tummy troubles.  Bevoir and I know about those :).   Like Sigma said, feel free to ask any questions.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

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Hello Tim,

 

Looks like everyone has given you some really great advice.

 

Like Bevoir said, don't be in a big rush. It's best to build your strength back up, especially after the Cipro and steroids.

 

The antibiotic and steroid really set me back, when I was on them. They really really revved my symptoms. It sounds like you may have tolerated them better then me.

 

Hopefully you won't have any setbacks :thumbsup:

 

Mike

 

 

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Tim,

 

If you are having inter dose withdrawal, which I think you are (because I did too from 0.25 xanax for sleep so I know what it's like), your Gi issues could be from that. Abdominal or stomach pain, loose stool, frequent urination too.

 

I was switched to klonopin to taper off. I didn't crossover but just started taking klonopin instead of xanax.

 

I know too how hard it is to get this sorted out along with other medical issues. I've had the same challenge. Hang in there.

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  • 4 years later...

Hi I am tapering my self off 1/2 of a 0.5 Xanax a day that would be  0.25 mg one a day, I have had sever WD as I have been tapering to fast because I was cut off after thirty years and the doctors won't wean me off. Im going threw hell, but weaning with what I have left. I am at 0.25  one in the morning anyone doing this? needing encouragement from some one thats succeeded in this. I don't ever want to be on a benzo again.

Thanks and good luck everyone I know its hard hang in there.

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